Improvement in hydrants



A. 0. AUSTIN.

Hydrant.

No. 200,121. Patented Feb. 12,1878.

N.FETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTOM.D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-ALVAH 0. AUSTIN, OF OAKLND, OALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ANTHONY CHABOT, OFSAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRANTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,121, dated February12, 1878 application filed December 15, 1877.

T0 all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALVAH 0. AUSTIN, of Oakland, Alameda county,Oalifornia, have invented an Improved Hydrant, of which the following isa speoification:

This hydrant is designed to improve upon the arrangement and oombinatonof the parts necessary to open and close the valve, the valve itself andthe shell or standing column being similar to other hydrants in use.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan of sleeve andstuffing-box.

In Fig. 1, A is an elbow. connecting with the street-main. B is thestanding column or body of the hydrant. 0 is a cap or cover boltedthereco. Dis a nozzle for the escape of the water when the valve isopen, and to which fire-hose may be attached. E is the valve, having ametal seat, F, he1d secnrely in the recess formed to receive it by leadpacking. G is the valve-stem, secnred in ordinary manner to the valve,but screwed into the sleeve H above, and afterward pinned by the pin 1).This sleeve H is not made With its exterior perfecfly round, except forabout omehalf an inch at its upper end, but should be ootagon-shaped, asshown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, so that it may not revolve in thestuffingbox I when the screw-spindle J is turned around. Thestuffing-box I is screwed into the annular fiange K, cast to theinterior of the hydrant-oolnmn.

The gland L may be round where it fits the stuffing-box, but partakes ofthe shape of the exterior of the sleeve H where it rests against it. Thescrew-spindle J sorews into the sleeve H, and passes out through the capof the hydrant C, terminating in a entagonshaped end, upon whieh awrench or spanner may be applied. This spindle J has a collar, M, nponwhich the gland N is screwed clown, so that it may be held from movingvertically when turned around. About one-half of an ineh of the top ofthe sleeve H being made round, th us 1nakin g proj ectin g flangesbeyond its octagon-shaped sides, it can never entirely pass through thestuffingbox gland, but Will be stopped when these projections strikeupon the gland. There is no danger therefore of wi ndin g the screwaltogether out of the sleeve.

Near the bottom of the hydrant, at 0, a screw-plug may be provided, todraw off the water from above the valve when the hydrant is not in use.This precaution is only nocessary in cold, freezing climates. V

The sleeve H should be lubricated internally as well as externally. Forthis pnrpose an oilhole is provided at 0.

The operation of the hydrant is as follows: The wrenoh or spanner beingapplied to the end of the screw J, the sorew is wound out of the sleeveH. N OW, as the screw-spindle cannot itself move up or down, it followsthat the Sleeve H must, oarrying with it the valvestem and valve towhioh it is attached. Thus the valve is retired from or brought bac]; toits scat, and the water admitted to or shut off from the hydrant, as thecase may be, without the neoessity of removing the cap.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isas follows:

As a means of operating the valve of a hydrant, the oombination, withthe sorew-spindle J, acting as prime mover, of a polygon sleeve or nnt,H, guided in a stuffing-box, I, having a gland, L, fitting the exteriorof said sleeve H, the said sleeve H being connected with the valve-stemG, as herein set forth, and for the pnrpose described.

ALVAH 0. AUSTIN.

Witnesses GEORGEPARDY, J NO. PARDY.

